Display refrigerator doors



Jan. 22,

Filed July 1, 1959 J. E. BERGSTEDT DISPLAY REFRIGERATOR DOORS 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR a JOH N E. BERGSTEDT.

BY fiwaw ATTORNEY 1963 J. E. BERGSTEDT 3,

DISPLAY REFRIGERATOR DOORS Filed July 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Il/IN/I/IV //I/ 43 INVENTOR JOHN E. BERGSTEDT.

BY Q wxag ATTORNEY States This invention relates to an improvement indisplay refrigerator doors and deals particularly with a self closingdisplay refrigerator door and means of supporting the same.

During recent years, the production of display refrigerators has greatlyincreased. For example, in stores selling bottled beverages such asliquors and the like, it has become common practice to incorporate as apart of the store, a cooling compartment or refrigerator within whichbeer and similar beverages may be maintained at a cold temperature.While in some instances such prod- Facts are merely stored in Walk-incoolers and the like, newer establishments of this type haveincorporated coolers provided with glass doors so that the contents maybe displayed. A feature of the present invention lies in the provisionof a door or closure for such a display refrigerator and to provide anovel means of supporting the doors.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a doorpreferably composed of two panes of glass sealed in parallel relation sothat the surface of the glass will not become covered with frost whenused to close a refrigerator compartment. in order to support andprotect the glass, the edges of the two panes are enclosed in a lightmetal channel. In forming the door, the side edges and the bottom of theglass pane are inserted into grooved side of a narrow strip of metalsuch as stainless steel or the like concealing the channel shaped edgeenclosing the panes. The three sided metal frame thus formed is attachedto a transverse solid bar which extends across the top of the door andthrough which the door supports are anchored.

A feature of the present invention resides in the pro vision of a doorformed of a pair of spaced panes of glass marginally sealed together,the edges of which are enclosed within a U-shaped frame, the ends ofwhich project above the panes of glass. A cross member comprising asolid bar of aluminum or similar material overlies the top of the panesand extends between the portions of the U-shaped frame which projectsabove the pane. The upwardly projecting ends of the U-shaped frame arebolted directly to the ends of the cross bar. Supports are anchored tothe cross bar to extend upwardly therefrom and trolleys are adjustablysupported by the upright supports to permit the door to be suspendedfrom a suitable track.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the provision of apair of doors which are slidably supported by trolley units slidablysupported in a pair of opposed tracks which are inclined. Each track isinclined in such a direction that the door, when released, willautomatically slide down into closed position, thus forming arefrigerator closure. As the door is moved from closed to open position,the door raises slightly so as to free itself from the floor toeliminate excess friction. However, when the door is in closed position,it is in sealed relation to the floor so that cold air will not flowfrom the refrigerator.

A feature of the present invention resides in a structure of the typedescribed in which the two doors when in closed position overlap anamount substantially equal to the width of a side of the U-shaped frame.When in open position, the doors almost completely overlap providingaccess to virtually the entire width of the refrigerator compartment. Inother Words, while the doors are slidable, when either door is open,access is provided 3,074,124 Patented Jan. 22, 1963 the to virtuallyone-half of the space between the sides of the door frame.

These and other objects and novel features of the pres ent inventionwill be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specificationand claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a pair of doors and the mannerin which they are supported.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view through the upper portion of the doorand the door supporting means.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of one of the doortrolleys.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view through a portion of the support, theposition of the section being indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FlGURE 5 is an enlarged detail view of an upper corner of the door.

FEGURE 6 is a sectional View through the side of the door, the positionof the section being indicated by the line 6 of FIGURE 5.

"FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken subtantially on line 7-7of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 8 is a front elevational view of a single door and the manner inwhich it is supported.

The door unit includes a generally rectangular frame structure normallyemploying a top frame member 10, a bottom frame member 11, and sideframe members 12 and 13. The side frame members 12 and 13 as well as thebottom frame member 11 may be slightly grooved to accommodate the edgesof the doors but in usual practice the edges of the door merely restagainst'the frame side and bottom in closed position of the door panels.

A pair of wedge shaped blocks 14 and 15 are mounted on the under surfaceof the top frame member 10, these wedge shaped blocks being positionedin opposed relation with the thick end 16 of one block 15 adjoining oneframe side 12 and the thinner or pointed end 17 of this black adjacentthe other frame side member 13. The other block 1 1 is arrangedoppositely with its thick end adjoining the frame side 13 and its thinend adjoining the side 12.

The blocks 14 and 15 are separated by an intermediate partition member19 having flanged ends 21 which are secured to the end frame members 12and 13. Similar tracks 21 and 22 are secured to the under surfaces ofthe blocks 14 and 15. Each of the tracks 21 and 22 include a horizontalflange 23, a vertical flange 24 depending from an edge of the flange 23and in face contact with the partition member 19, and generally V-shapedflanges 25 and 26 connected to the lower ends of the flanges 24. Thebases of the tracks are formed by the juncture between the flanges 25and 26.

Each door is provided with a pair of spaced trolleys 27 which includecoplanar end portions 29 and 39 connected by an offset intermediateportion 31. Wheels or rollers 32 are pivotally supported to the endportions 29 and 31) by pivots 33. A supporting bracket 34 is con-;nected to the offset center portion 31 and is bent to include agenerally vertical upper portion 35, an inclined intermediate portion36, and a horizontal flange 37. The horizontal flange 37 is apertured toaccommodate a bolt or stud 39 which extends into the door frame andwhich is provided with a head or nut 40 which bears against the flange37.

A pair of door panels 41 and 42 are slidably supported by the trolleys27 one door 41 being supported by the track 22 while the other door 42is connected for support by the track 21. The door panels are similar inconstruction but are arranged in opposed relationship. Each doorincludes a pair of glass panels 4 3 Which are marginally sealed togetheras indicated at 44 and enclosed with a thin walled channel 45. Sealedglass units enclosed in a conventional frame cannot be used as slidingclosure panels or doors without additional frame structure becauseattachments such as tracks or rollers cannot be attached thereto bydrilling holes or the like in the frames. Furthermore, frames such asdisclosed in this application greatly minimize the frame materialrequired to form a door or closure assembly.

The side and bottom edges or" the panes 43 are engaged in grooves suchas 46 on the inner surfaces of frame side strips 47 and 49 and a framebottom strip 50. The lower edges of the frame sides 47 and 49 arepreferably mitered and connected to the ends of the bottom strip 58.

A bar 51 of aluminum or other suitable material is interposed betweenthe upper ends 52 and 53 of the side strips 47 and 49 which projectabove the level of the glass panes. Bolts such a 54 extend through theupper frame ends 52 and 53 and into the ends of the bar 51 to form atight connection between these parts. Thus the bar 51 acts as a supportfor the U-shaped frame comprising the sides 47 and 49 in the bottomstrip As will be noted in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the door panels aresupported on a horizontal level by the supporting bolts 39, the boltsbeing adjusted to accommodate the difierent elevation of the twotrolleys 27 supporting each door panel. Due to the slant of thesupporting tracks 21 and 22, the doors will travel by gravity to the lowends of the tracks in which position the doors are closed. The inclineof the tracks is slight so that the door will travel slowly into closedposition. Due to the fact that the frame sides 4-7 and 49 are narrow inwidth, and due to the fact that the doors overlap but slightly in closedposition, the doors may be moved open to expose virtually the entirearea of the refrigerator. This is important, particularly where therefrigerator is used to contain cases of beer or the like as it isessential to use as much of the shelf space within the refrigerator asis possible. Normally a considerable area behind the juncture of thedoors is unexcessible where the goods must be inserted and withdrawn ina direction at right angles to the planes of the doors.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my improvement in display refrigeratordoors, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodimentthereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made withinthe scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

'1 claim:

1. In combination a generally rectangular door frame, a pair ofwedge-shaped blocks secured in side by side relation beneath the top ofsaid frame with the thicker ends of said blocks adjoining opposite sidesof said frame, a track secured to the undersurface of each said block, apair of trolleys slidable in each said track, and a door panel suspendedfrom the trolleys in each track and normally biased by gravity to thelower end of each said track, said door panels being engageable with thebottom of said frame in lower extreme position of said doors, said doorpanels each including a pair of rectangular glass panel marginallysealed together in spaced relation, a V-shaped frame enclosing the sideand bottom edges of each glass panel and projecting above said glasspanels, and a rectangular square ended bar secured between the upperends of said V-shaped frame and overlying the upper edges of said panes,said last named means extending horizontally through the portions ofsaid sides of said frame that project above said glass panels and intothe opposite ends of said bar, and means connecting said bar to each ofsaid trolleys.

'2. The structure of claim 1 and in which said last named meanscomprises bolts threaded into said bar in adjusted relation thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS752,188 Smith Feb. 16, 1904 934,526 Heusser ;-Sept. 21, 1909 1,193,347Bauer Aug. 1, 1916 1,570,762 McTigue Jan. 26, 1926 1,576,098 Dietz Mar.9, 1926 2,617,141 Sterling Nov. 11, 1952 2,690,585 Nordahl Oct. 5, 19542,780,327 Carlson Feb. 5, 1957 2,783,860 Taubman Mar. 5, 1957 2,858,408Barroero Oct. 28, 1958 2,893,049 Guerrant July 7, 1959

1. IN COMBINATION A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR DOOR FRAME, A PAIR OFWEDGE-SHAPED BLOCKS SECURED IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION BENEATH THE TOP OFSAID FRAME WITH THE THICKER ENDS OF SAID BLOCKS ADJOINING OPPOSITE SIDESOF SAID FRAME, A TRACK SECURED TO THE UNDERSURFACE OF EACH SAID BLOCK, APAIR OF TROLLEYS SLIDABLE IN EACH SAID TRACK, AND A DOOR PANEL SUSPENDEDFROM THE TROLLEYS IN EACH TRACK AND NORMALLY BIASED BY GRAVITY TO THELOWER END OF EACH SAID TRACK, SAID DOOR PANELS BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH THEBOTTOM OF SAID FRAME IN LOWER EXTREME POSITION OF SAID DOORS, SAID DOORPANELS EACH INCLUDING A PAIR OF RECTANGULAR GLASS PANELS MARGINALLYSEALED TOGETHER IN SPACED RELATION, A V-SHAPED FRAME ENCLOSING THE SIDEAND BOTTOM EDGES OF EACH GLASS PANEL AND PROJECTING ABOVE SAID GLASSPANELS, AND A RECTANGULAR SQUARE ENDED BAR SECURED BETWEEN THE UPPERENDS OF SAID V-SHAPED FRAME AND OVERLYING THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID PANES,SAID LAST NAMED MEANS EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY THROUGH THE PORTIONS OFSAID SIDES OF SAID FRAME THAT PROJECT ABOVE SAID GLASS PANELS AND INTOTHE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BAR, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID BAR TO EACH OFSAID TROLLEYS.